Seattle Brain Cancer Walk

Saturday June 26th I joined Mrs. Seattle & Mrs. Washington in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk. We were part of team CEF, our team came in 2nd place for most funds raised!! The entire walk raised over $400,000!! It was a big event with more people than ever this year.
Many of us walked in honor of someone who has brain cancer or has died from it. Their names were written on special signs and then we pinned them onto our shirts. My son Jordan came too and we were walking in honor of my Aunt Penny who is currently fighting brain cancer.
There were several patients their who had brain cancer and they joined in as well. We met a man named Randy who has brain cancer and was being pushed by his family in a wheel chair. Despite what he is going through he had a smile on his face and hope for a cure. We were honored to have our picture taken with him.
The tent of honor had letters and photos of people affected by this disease and it was very moving to read about their experience and their lives. All ages are affected by this serious disease.
Upcoming events for the CEF are a golf tournament, gala and auction. I will post more information about that as the dates and details are final.

CEF featured on New Day Northwest

The Chirs Ellliot Fund (CEF) was featured on New Day Northwest yesterday. Mrs. Seattle's platform is based on CEF and curing Glioblastoma brain cancer. As a pageant sister I support as many charities and events as I can. Tamara DePorter has become a dear friend to me and I see her passion and dedication for this cause. I was able to help out last year with the charity and got to meet the founder Dellann who is an incredible woman. She has taken a tragedy in her life and used it to make a difference. She is truly and inspiration to everyone.
Actress Jean Smart is an amabassador for CEF. Her sister died of brain cancer this year and she is also passionate about bringing awareness and a cure. She is in town this week to help with the CEF walk on Saturday. New Day Northwest interviewed her and Dellann for Thursdays show. Mrs. Seattle, Mrs. Snohomish County and I Mrs. Pacific Northwest were the cheering section in the audience for them. It was fun to watch a live show and Margaret Larson is so gracious and nice to talk to.
This Saturday I am joining the CEF team to walk for a cure. Mrs. Washington contestants and families will all be out helping to raise money and awareness.

Mrs. Washington Pageant 4th Runner Up!

My second try at the Mrs. Washington title and I made it in the court! 4th runner up! Last year I was 5th runner up, I am slowly making my way towards that crown! It was a fabulous experience and I plan to continue to run again this year. There is so much more I want to do and accomplish. Being a part of the pageant really helps me to stay focused and work hard for my goals. I plan on doing even more this year in the schools and implementing my mentoring program. I'll be posting more pictures of the pageant soon!

Guest Speaker at St. Martins University

I was invited by Professor Don Conant who teaches business classes at St. Martins University, to speak to his masters business class about my own business Simply Swank. As the 2009 Business Woman of the Year I was honored to be able to share my expertise in the area of Entrepreneurship. I shared with class how I got started, the process I went through and what I have achieved to this day with my business. The class was very diversified with all types of students from different backgrounds and with different goals. They asked many great questions, and Professor Conant did a great wrap up highlighting how my business model worked for me and the difference between other types of businesses. I learned a few things too!

Moses Lake Food Bank

The Mrs. Washington Pageant is about Making a Difference. This year we have been supporting the Moses Lake Food Bank. We held an online auction for gift baskets that did very well. My company Simply Swank donated a great Soldering basket. A big thanks goes out to Julie from Oklahoma who won the bid at $225! I custom made her 2 soldered necklaces as part of her win! I also taught a soldering class and donated part of the proceeds to the MENC and the rest went to the Moses lake food bank. The money earned was added on to the total amount raised for the auction for a total of $375!

Along with volunteering at the food bank we also have collected food to donate also. I collected 6 bags full of all sorts of great food. After working in the food bank sorting donations I got a good feel for what types of items they needed. They sure seem to get lots of cans of beans! It feels great to help out and be a part of the community in Moses Lake.

Cinderella's Closet 1 Year Anniversary

Congratulations to Renatta & Mary Ann for making so much progress in one year for their non-profit organization. We had a mini party and meeting to discuss the past and the future. It has come so far from 20 dresses to over 300! More plans are in the works for the coming year. It's more than dresses for dances it is building confidence and self esteem in women. As one of the Fairy Godmother's we get to mentor and build up these fabulous ladies.
We are planning a benefit concert for August 14th to help raise funds. My band Pre/Emptive Apology will provide the music and the Urban Onion will be providing the space. It is all still in the planning stages more details will come as we secure our plans.